Johnson Canyon Sanitary Landfill

Johnson Canyon Sanitary Landfill out on Johnson Canyon Road in Gonzales is where non-recycled trash gets buried. Both household drop-offs and commercial haulers use the site, so expect everything from cars with trash bags to big rolloff trucks.

There’s an entrance booth and usually a scale-landfills like this typically charge tipping fees by weight, so plan to weigh in and weigh out. The place is big and mostly open dirt with heavy equipment and trucks moving around; take it slow when pulling up to the unload spots. Recycling and green‑waste drop‑offs are commonly near the front since California requires separating organics in many cases, so those areas are often busy. Weekends, especially during spring cleanup, get backed up and waiting is the main hassle.